Health Equity and Risk Communication in Pharmacogenomics

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The purpose of this Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (K08) is to provide Dr. Loren Saulsberry with a mentored training experience designed to lead to an independent academic career in genomic medicine. Dr. Saulsberry has a PhD in Health Policy. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Sciences at The University of Chicago. Her long-term career goal is to lead a research program that evaluates and guides the implementation of pharmacogenomics (PGx) into clinical practice in a manner that advances health equity in genomic medicine. The proposed work leverages skills she developed through prior training and research and will form the basis for a successful R01 proposal. The career development plan includes didactic and experiential learning in pharmacogenomics; developing research skills in implementation science; acquiring leadership skills for directing interdisciplinary, implementation research teams; and maximizing professional development through a series of objectives. Dr. Saulsberry will also attend seminars, journal clubs, laboratory and research meetings, grant-writing workshops, and present at national meetings, which will all provide additional opportunities to develop and strengthen skills. The mentorship team for the proposed interdisciplinary project covers the full translational cycle of PGx research to ensure training and preparation for independence is comprehensive, incorporating knowledge of each stage of translation from research to practice. The proposed studies build on Dr. Saulsberry's prior work in health disparities and chronic illness; it investigates communication processes essential to PGx implementation, providing a foundation for future studies that evolve approaches for delivering PGx care to patients at risk for health disparities. Aim 1 investigates the inter-ethnic disparities in the use of prescription drugs with evidence-based PGx guidelines and assesses the potential impact of PGx testing on minority populations based on a nationally representative dataset on health care utilization. Aim 2 determines the views of patient-provider pairs on PGx risk communication through interviews/focus groups and examines inter-ethnic variation between patients' risk communication preferences. Aim 3 uses a survey experiment to evaluate the influence of PGx risk information on inter-ethnic patient beliefs and preferences for the clinical use of PGx. This proposal responds to the urgent need to discover methods of tailoring PGx implementation to the expectations and needs of ethnically diverse populations so as to not widen health disparities. The K08 award will lead to Dr. Saulsberry's transition to an independent career in genomic medicine focused on designing and adapting PGx implementation that is minority-centered.